The present invention relates to dredging and mining operations and pertains particularly to a novel self powered dredging system.
The use of dredges for lifting and removing materials from the bottom of bodies of water, such as lakes, streams, rivers, the ocean and the like have been and are well known. Such systems generally employ a high velocity pumping system which draws a high velocity flow of water through an intake end of a conduit system and discharges it along with the collected debris into barges or the like.
Such systems are used for mining to remove materials and the like from streams and lake beds and other bodies of water and for removing the valuable minerals and the like from the debris raised from the floor of the body of water.
Dredging systems are also quite frequently used simply to remove accumulation of materials from waterways to free the waterway for passage of ships and the like. Such dredges are also used to remove silt and other accumulated debris from the bottom of lakes and the like, to maintain the capacity of the reservoir. The materials dredged from the bottom of lakes and the like may include sand and gravel, which has commercial value totally apart from any minerals or the like, that may be present. The dredging operation can commercialize the sand and gravel, and at least partially offset the cost thereof by such technique.
The continuous dredging of lakes and the like constitutes an enormous problem in that it requires a considerable amount of energy to continuously operate the pumps and the like of the dredging system.
The following U.S. Patents are exemplary of the dredging art:
U.S. Pat. No. 75,004 issued Mar. 3, 1968 to Duvall.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,551,657 issued Sept. 1, 1925 to Goetriz.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,611,478 issued Dec. 21, 1926 to Massey.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,754,763 issued July 17, 1956 to Hoser.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,263,615 issued Aug. 2, 1966 to Hoser.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,448,691 issued June 10, 1969 to Frazier.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,681,862 issued Aug. 8, 1972 to DeKoning.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,805 issued Nov. 20, 1973 to DeKoning.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,246 issued Apr. 3, 1976 to Koesifch.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,096,595 issued Oct. 19, 1937 to Sanford.
The above mentioned Massey patent discloses a hydraulic dredging device wherein a siphon return pipe is utilized for assisting the lift of the water through the system. He also recognizes and discloses the use of a screen conduit for separating finer materials, such as sand from gravel. The remaining patents are of interest only.
These systems all disclose and utilize a pump for continuous operation powered by a motor or internal combustion engine.
It is desirable that a dredging system be available which reduces the dependence on the use of motors and engines for powering the systems.